Electric lighter and dispenser for cigarettes



Nov. 7, 1950 B. STEIN ELECTRIC LIGHTER AND DISPENSER FOR CIGARETTESFiled Dec. 11, 1947 37 a E5 42 A 2 ,5

IN V EN TOR. BERNARD 5TB: B Y

Aria/7N5? Patented Nov. 7, 1 950 ELECTRIC LIGHTER AND DISPENSER FORCIGARETTES Bernard Stein, Ozone Park, N. Y.

Application December 11,1947, Serial No. 791,000

This inventionrelates to a combined cigarette dispenser and electriclighter.

More particularly, the invention relates to a cigarette case and lighterwhich if made of small; size, may be carried in the pocket, and which,if made of large size, may serve as a table model, or the like, the casehaving individual cigarette dispensing means and means for automaticallylighting the cigarette being dispensed, that is by puifing on the raisedcigarette while still in the case and then the cigarette may bewithdrawn by the lips of the smoker.

An object of the present invention is to provide a cigarette dispensingmachine which will dispense a convenient number of cigarettes to becarried about in the pocket, which machine has automatic means forindividually lighting the cigarette being chosen by the smoker.

Another object is to provide a safe and efficient pocket lighting devicewhich is compact and inexpensive and may also be made of sufiicient sizeto be used as a table model for heating a resistance element adapted tolight a cigarette.

A further object is to provide a cigarette-dispensing machine consistingof a rectangular case having a hinged cover, push rods for dispensingthe cigarettes, a shroud for covering the push rods and means connectingthe cover and shroud for automatically lifting the shroud to expose thepush rods when the cover is opened.

Another object is to provide a dispenser as aforesaid for a number ofcigarettes in which each cigarette is dispensed one at a time by a pushrod mechanism which automatically lights the cigarette being dispensed.

Another object is to provide a dispenser as aforesaid in which the pushrod mechanism of a cigarette already dispensed is held in an inoperativeposition until reloaded with another cigarette.

For further comprehension of the invention, and of the objects andadvantages thereof, refference will be had to the following descriptionand accompanying drawings, and to the appended claims in which thevarious novel features of the invention are more particularly set forth.

In the accompanying drawings forming a material part of this disclosureFig. 1 is a perspective view of a cigarette-dispensing machine made inaccordance with this invention, the lower left hand corner being brokenopen and the cover being in partially opened position.

Fig. 2 is a side view of the machine with the cover partly opened.

4 Claims. (Cl. 219-32) Fig. 3 is anenlarged section on the line 3-3 ofFig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a plan of a portion of the false bottom of the machine.

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary perspective view of a cylinder of the machine.

Fig. 6 is aperspective view of the lighter part of the machinecigarette-dispensing device.

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary elevational view of a lighter and dispensingunit.

Fig. 8 is an enlarged view of one of the main contacts.

Fig. 9 is a bottom plan View of Fig. 6.

Fig. 10 is a section on the line ill-l0 of Fig. 9.

Fig. 11 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view of a corner of the caseshowing the false bottom.

Fig. 12 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical sectional view of one of thecigarette-dispensing devices.

The cigarette-dispensing machine, indicated generally by referencenumeral 10, comprises, according to this invention, a rectangular case II- having a bottom wall l2, a front wall IS, a rear wall l4, end wallsl5 and a hinged cover I6. The hinged cover is slightly hollow and hasend walls H. The bottom wall I 2 is inset in the vertical walls andthese walls, enclose a space as I8 into which the shroud or guard ['9may telescope as shown in Fig. 1. The walls l5 each contains a tinyvertical bore 20 for a strand of relatively stiff piano wire 2|, thepiano wire being connected at the bottom to the top of the shroud l9 andat the top to the two end walls l7. Thus when the cover I6 is opened,the strands of piano wire are pulled upwardly, raising the shroud 19 inthe guideway I8 and when the cover is closed, the strands of piano wirepush the shroud down again, the wire being stiff enough to perform thisfunction but being flexible enough to bend above the walls l5 as thcover [6 swings.

The case also has a false bottom 22 suitably supported above the bottomwall l2 by posts 23 and bolts 24, thus providing a chamber 25 forreceiving electric circuit wires, as will later more fully appear.

There are a plurality of cigarette dispensing devices 26 supported onthe bottom 22. In a dispenser which is intended to be carried about inthe pocket, the number of devices 26 is naturally limited by size andmay be restricted to a single unit if desired. In stationary models,such as table models or display models, the number may be considerable.

Each device 25 includes a cylinder 2'! which is secured to the falsebottom by depending tabs 28 which extend through slots 29 in the falsebottom and are bent over, as shown in Fig. 12, The cylinder has arelatively long wide vertical slot 30 extending from its bottom upwardlya considerable distance as shown. Above slot 30 is a short transverseslot 3 I. Ninety degrees in either direction from slots 30 and 3| aretwo wide vertical guideway slots 32. Insulated blocks 33 are secured tothe outer wall of the cylinder at the tops of the guideways 32 and eachblock 33 has an electrical contact 34 the lower end of which dependsfrom its block and the upper end of which extends above its block andhas secured thereto, by a nut 35, an electric wire 36. These wires passthrough orifices 31 in the false bottom into the chamber 25.

The false bottom 22 and;the bottom I2 have aligned orifices 38 at theaxis of each cylinder. A push rod .40, shown foreshortened in Fig. 12,is slidably disposed in said orifices. A disc-like member 4| is rigidlysecured to the top of .the

push rod 40 and is adapted to slide in the. tubev or cylinder 21. Thismember consists of two superposed discs 42, of insulating material suchas Micarta, between which is disposed an end portion of a leaf or bladespring 43, which spaces the discs 42 apart. To fill the space betweenthe discs, one or more fillers 44 are employed. To permit proper flexingof the free end portion of the spring, the discs and fillersare'suitably cut away above and below the spring as best seen in Figs.6, 9 and 10. The discs have wings or projecting tongues 45 at rightangles to the spring and these wings slide in guideways 32. Rivets 46passing through the wings secure the discs and fillers 44 rigidlytogether. The top heads of the rivets form electrical contacts and aresistance wire element 4?, coiled flat on top of the top disc 45,bridges the two contact point rivets 46.

A battery 48 is disposed n one corner of the case and the two wires orother usual forms of conductors 36 of each device are suitably led tothe battery through the chamber 25 in a well known manner. The two wires36 of each device are normally disconnected, but are electricallyconnected when the rivets 46 are pushed into contact with the posts orcontacts 34, the circuit thenbeing from one wire 36 through the contact34 connected thereto, through the contacting rivet 46 to the resistancewire, through the resistance wire, heating it to a' red glow, to theother rivet 46, and thence through the other contact 34 to the otherwire or other conductors 36. The wires 36 are one a positive and one anegative, in the usual manner, and all positive wires of the devices areled to the battery in parallel to one terminal thereof and all negativewires 36 of the devices are led to the battery in parallel to the otherterminal therof. While one battery is shown, other batteries may begrouped therewith if desired.

The operation of the dispensing machine is as follows: Normally all ofthe push rods are in their lowermost positions with their lower endscovered by the shroud l9. Assuming that each cylinder 21 contains acigarette, all devices will be in the same condition. The smoker thenopens the cover 16, which via the wires 2!, raises the shroud l9,exposing the lower ends of the push rods 40. The smoker then pushesupwardly on one of the push rods. It is immaterial which one. Thecorrelated spring 43 slides in the slot 30 with the discs 42 sliding inthe cylinders 2? and the tongues sliding in the slots 32. The cigaretteif present, remains in contact with the wire 41 and is pushed upwardlyas the member 4! is pushed upwardly. The free end of the spring 43 isflexed sufficiently as it strikes the top end wall of the slot 35 and isstopped temporarily thereby, to permit said end to leave the slot 30 andto enter the slot 3 I. Said end of the spring 43 is freed of stress asit enter the slot 3 I. However, as the upward movement of the rod 40 iscontinued, the free end of the spring strikes and is stopped by the topwall of the slot 3|, while the disc 4! and its stem continue to move,thereby against stressing and flexing the spring. The rivets 46 are thusforced into contact with the contacts 34, and current passes through theresistance, lighting the cigarette. The cigarette is then puffed onwhile it is still resting on the hot resistance element and then it maybe pulled out of the cylinder by the lips and puffed on to catch thesmouldering end before it can go out.

When the cigarette is withdrawn, the member 4i drops by gravity afterthe push rod 40 is released, until the spring 43' touches the bottom ofthe slot 3!. It rests at this position with the spring deenergized orunstressed, and at this position the rivets 45 are spaced from thecontacts 34- so that the resistance is isolated from electrical current.Furthermore, if the case is tipped so that the member 4! falls bygravity tothe top of the slot 3!, theresistance will still be isolatedsince the spring must be energized or flexed before electrical contactis efiected. This is a safety feature which is quite important for ifelectric contact were made accidentally or inadvertently, a fire mightbe started in the case. In other words when the push rod 40 is movedupwardly with the spring 43 in slot 3!, when the spring 43 engages thetop of slot 3 the rivets 4t will'be' spaced from the contacts 34. Toeffect contact it is necessary to push the rod40 up further, flexing andenergizing the spring 43, before the contacts 34 engage the rivets 4'6.The spring breaks the contact when the push rod is released. That partof the tube or cylinder 21 between the slots 30 and Si constitutes a barwhich aids in preventing the loaded devices from reaching a positionwhere the resistance is heated until the push rod is deliberatelyoperated.

Since the spring 43 remains in slot 3| after the cigarette is withdrawn,the smoker will not inadvertently try to obtain a cigarette from acylinder which is empty, since the push rods 40'of empty cylindersremain at a difierent level above the level of the push rods of theclinders containing cigarettes. The free end of the spring 43 may remainat all times in the slot 3i if desired, as when the device is to be usedas a pocket lighter.

When the dispenser is empty, a cigarette is pushed into each cylinderand each member 4| is pushed, by said cigarette, with sufficient forceto push spring 43 from slot 3| into slot 39.

While I have illustrated and described the preferred embodiment of myinvention, it is to be understood that I do not limit myself to theprecise constructions herein disclosed and the right is reserved to allchanges and modifications coming within the scope of the invention asdefined in the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire tosecure by United States Letters Patent is:

1. A cigarette dispensing device for lighting and dispensing anyselected cigaretteof a plurality or such cigarettes before it iswithdrawn from the device comprising a case, a plurality of dispensingand lighting devices arranged in parallel relation and in parallel rowsin the case, each device being upright and in spaced relation to theadjacent devices and each including a push rod mechanism having a stemprojecting downwardly below the case, a resistance member supporting thelower end of a cigarette, a cylinder guiding the cigarette, aninsulating member slidable non-rotatably in the cylinder and carryingthe resistance member, a blade spring projecting radially through thecylinder and carried by the insulating member, a pair of spaced contactson the outside of the cylinder and in vertical align ment with therespective ends of the resistance member and means on the cylinderhalting the movement of the projecting outer end of the spring towardthe contacts before the contacts are bridged by the resistance member,the blade spring yielding to permit the final part of the movement ofthe resistance member into contact with said contacts.

2. A cigarette dispensing machine comprising a case having a bottomplate, a battery in the case, dispensing devices for individuallydispensing the cigarettes, each of said devices including a cylinder:upstanding from said plate, the cylinder having opposed verticalguideways having a long vertical slot between the guideways and having ashort slot in vertical spaced relation to and above said long slot,electric positive and negative contacts at the outside of the cylinderand in upward spaced relation to the small slot, said plate having anorifice at the axis of the cylinder, a push rod mechanism including astem in the plate orifice and a disc in the cylinder, said disc beingconnected to the stem and having guiding tongues in said guideways andprojecting through the cylinder, a resistance across the top face of thedisc and terminating on said tongues outside of the cylinder forbridging said contacts when the disc is raised to heat said resistance,and a blade spring slidable in said long slot and slidable out of thelong slot into the short slot, whereby when said stem is down and thecylinder contains a cigarette in contact with the disc, raising the stemto carry the resistance into contact with said contacts results inheating the resistance and igniting the cigarettes, said spring firstsliding in the long slot and then sliding in the small slot andretaining said push rod mechanism in a raised position after thecigarette is withdrawn, said spring being sufiiciently stiff to maintainthe resistance out of engagement with the contacts when the spring isunstressed and at the top of the small slot, the spring engaging the topof the small slot before the resistance bridges said contactsnecessitating flexing of the spring to eifect heating of the resistance,and means for conducting current from the battery to said contacts.

3. A cigarette dispensing machine comprising a case having a bottomplate, parallel spaced dispensing devices for individually dispensingany selected cigarette in said devices, each of said devices including acylinder upstanding from the plate, the cylinder having opposed verticalslots therethrough constituting guideways, having a long vertical slotbetween the guideways and having a short vertical slot in upward spacedrelation to said long slot, and electric contacts at the sides of thecylinder, the plate having an orifice at the axis of the cylinder, apush rod mechanism including a stem in the plate orifice and aninsulating disc in the cylinder, said disc having a connection to thestem and having guiding tongues projecting through the opposed slots, aresistance across the top face of the disc and terminating on saidtongues for bridging the contacts when the disc is raised to heat theresistance, and a blade spring slidable in said short and long slots,whereby when said stem is down and the cylinder contains a cigarette incontact with the disc, the resistance is unheated, said resistance beingheated to ignite the cigarette on the raising of the stem to carry theresistance into contact with said contacts, said spring first sliding inthe long slot and then sliding in the small slot and retaining said pushrod mechanism in a raised position after the cigarette is withdrawn, thefree end of said spring engaging the top of the small slot before theresistance bridges the contacts and being sufiiciently stifi to maintainthe resistance below the contacts when the spring is unstressednecessitating flexing of the spring to efiect heating of the resistance,said case having a bottom below the plate forming a chamber and theplate having orifices adjacent said devices, and a battery in the caseabove the chamber, the contacts having wires extending from the batterythrough the last mentioned plate orifices into said chamber.

4. In an article of the character described, a tube provided with a pairof longitudinally arranged opposedslots each closed at one end and openat the other end and with a transverse slot in proximity to and betweenthe closed ends of the longitudinal slots, a heating element terminatingin a first pair of spaced apart contacts, a member supporting theelement and slidable therewith in the tube, said member having a pair ofopposed tongues arranged respectively in the respective longitudinalslots, a second relatively fixed pair of contacts in longitudinalalignment respectively with and in longitudinal spaced relation to thefirst pair of contacts and beyond the transverse slot, and a bladespring carried by the element supporting means and having a free endarranged to enter the transverse slot, the spring being suflicientlystiff to resist movement of the first pair of contacts into engagementwith the second pair of contacts after said free end engages the topwall of the transverse slot, said spring flexing to permit suchengagement and to permit limited movement of the tongues in thelongitudinal slots upon manual pressure applied to the supporting meansfor the element.

BERNARD STEIN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

' UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 7 346,564 Seegmueller Aug. 3,1886 1,991,258 Pfiaging Feb. 12, 1935 2,030,011 MacLennan Feb. 4, 19362,123,779 Hite July 12, 1938 2,132,771 Aronson Oct. 11, 1938 7 2,381,726Davis Aug. 7, 1945

